Rib-knitting machine.



W. D. BUTZ. RIB KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.1

'W. D. BUTZ. RIB KNITTING MAGHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

WALTER D. BUTZ, 0F NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILDMAN MANU- FACTURING COMIEANY; OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, -A GORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 9, 1910. Serial No. 581,328.

RIB-KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Dee. 2e, ieii.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVAL'rnR D. BUTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Rib-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that type of rib knitting machine's in which the needle cylinder and needle dial are-held against rotation, the cylinder cam ring and dial cam ring being the rotating elements. The object of my invention is to so construct a rib knitting machine of this type as to dispense with the dogs usually employed on'the inner side of the needle cylinder and under side of the needle dial for preventing the rotation of said dial. The objection to the use of. these dogs is that the knitted web must be drawn between them in its passage from the needles down into and through the needle cylinder and engagement of the fabric with the dogs has a tendency to distort the stitches'in the engaging portion of the fabric and to change the appearance of that portion of the fabric, so as to produce a line or streak in the knitted web. This detracts from the appearance of the web but the more serious objection is the compression or distortion of certain of the stitches which interferes with the proper operation of machines for subsequently acting upon the knitted web, if machines require, for their perfect action, uniformity of stitch structure throughout the web.

My invention comprises certain external means whereby the proper position and relation of the cylinder and dial may be maintalned without interfering with the free feed of the yarn to the needles.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a view, partly in side elevation and partly'in vertical longitudinal section, of sufficientof a rib knitting machine to illustrate my present invention; Fig. 2 is a top or plan view illustrating that portion of the mechanism to which my invention par ticul'arly relates; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, of certain 'parts of the machine, illustrating means other than those shown in Fig. 1, for imparting movement to the dial cam ring of the machine, and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modified locking means in accordance with my invention. Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 1 represents-part'of the fixed bed plate of the machine, to which is secured the needle cylinder 2. Mounted so as to be free to rotate on the bed plate 1 is a bevel wheel 3 and upon the latter. is mounted the cylinder cam ring 4' which is'provided passes through a central hub on the yoke- '6, and, above the same, is fixedly secured to the means hereinafter described, whereby its rotation is prevented. Above the needle dial 7 is located the dial cam ring 10, which, on its under side, is provide with the ordinary cams for imparting horizontal reciprocating movementto the dial- -needles 3 this dial cam ring being caused to rotate in unison with the cylinder cam ring by any appropriate means, the means shown in Fig.' 1 for efiecting this result being an arm '11 projecting from the dial cam ring 10 and having a set screw 12 en'- gaging the yoke 6. The central post Qhas formed therein a groove 13 which is engaged by a split ring 14 secured to the top of a central hub on the dial" cam ring '10" whereby said dial cam ring, while free to rotate around the post 9,'is caused to partake of any vertical movement of said post and consequently rises or falls in unison with any rising or falling movement of the dial 7, resulting from necessary adjust: ment of the same in its vertical relation to the needle cylinder 2. Fixedly secured in any suitable way to the post 9 above the yoke 6 is the hub 15 of a ratchet wheel 16, with whose teeth engage pawls 17 of which there may be two or more, four of such pawls being shown in the present instance. These pawls 17 are pivotally mounted upon a ring 19 which rests upon the base of a ring or collar 20, the latter in turn being supported upon the flanged base ofa sleeve or bushing 21 which surrounds the central tionary element of the machine, thus in the present machine I-have shown a rod 22 connecting a boss 23 on the ring W-lth a boss 24 one sleeve 25 which surrounds a vertical rod 26 of the machine, which rod may,

for instance, be that for supporting the bobbin or bobbins whereby-yarn is supplied to the needles of the machine. The dial cam ring 10 carries one or more yarn guides w, for feeding the yarn to the needles, only one being shown in the present ma-.

chine. The pawls 17 are normally held in engagement with the ratchet teeth 16. bythe action of springs 27 mounted upon the ring 19 and pressing upon the backs of-the pawls, as shown in Fig. 2, but as, in a machine of this type, it is 'necessar for the -yarn or yarns to rotate with t e yarn guide orguides these pawls would, if always in en- 'gagement with the teeth of the. ratchet Wheel 16, prevent such movement of the yarn and I therefore find it necessary to move the pawls in succession out of engagement with the ratchet wheel in order that the yarn may pass between" the point of the pawl and the teeth of the wheel.' For this apurpose I employ a cam 29 secured to an rotatlng with the central hub of theyoke '6, which cam, as the yoke rotates, pushes back the pawls 17 in succession-and permits passage of the yarn, the latter, by preference, running throufgh a perforation .30 in the cam which per oration is continued, as at 31 and 32, through the sleeve or bushing 21; and yoke 6.- In order to provide for vertical adjustment of the dial and dial cam ring in respect to the needle cylinder, the upper, end of the, post 9 is threaded and is engaged by a nut 33 which rests upon the top of the hub 15,- whereby turnin of this nut in one direction or the other, a ter freeing said hub 15 from connection with the post 9, will cause the' raising orlowering of said post and of the dial and dial cam ring carried thereby, the hub 15 being secured to the post again after any such vertical adjustment of said post has been efiected. In order to permit movement of rotation or partial rotation of the dial in respect to the needle cylinder, as for instance, when it is desired to shog the dial needles in respect to the c linder needles, the ring 19 ,can be moved ack and forth, upon the ring 20 by means of a handle 50 to siich an extent as to effect the desired shogging movement of said dial byengagement of the pawls -17 with the ratchet wheel 16. The ring 19 is, in the present instance, vertically confined to the ring 20, by means ofscrews 34 which are adapted to segmental slots 35 in said ring 19, as shown in Fig. 2. A cap 36, by preference, closes the top of the ring 20, this cap being supported upon the ring 20 or in any other available manner, and the hub 15, nut 33 and upper end ,of the post 9 are also, by preference, in-

closed by a cap. 37 secured to the cap 36 and having, in its top, a central aperture 39 for the passage of the yarn on its way to the needles.

In that embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 3, the hub of the dial cam plate 10 is extended up into the hub of the yoke 6 and secured thereto by means of a set screw 40, thereby dispensing with the" arm 11, as a means of transmitting rotary motion to the dial cam :plate.

' When shogging motion of the dial. in respect tothe cylinder is .not desired, radially guided and spring-actuated locking bolts, such for instance as shown at 41, in Fig. 4,-

'may engage socketsin the hub 15, and take pendently movable locking devices disposed at di fierent points about the dial post for locking the post against movement, cam .means for moving the locking devices individually for the passage of theyarn, and

a ring shaped memberencirclingthe dial.

post connected with the' fixed frame and connecting together the independently movable locking devices, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a rib. lmitting machine, a non-rotating needle cylinder, a dial, a dial post, cylinder and cam rings, means for rotating the same, a plurality of inde: pendently movable locking devices disposed at, difierent points about the dial post for locking the post against movement, cam means for moving the locking devices independently for the passage of the yarn, and a ring shaped member encirclin the dial post connected with the" fixed arms and connecting together the independently. movable locking devices, and means to turn the ring shaped member for shogging'the con-. nected individually movable locking devices for shoggingthe dial, substantially as'described.

3. In combination ina rib knitting machine. a non-rotating cylinder, a dial, \a dial post, cylinder and cam rings, means for ro tating the same,.a plurality of independently movable locking devices dis osed atdiflerent points about the dial post or look"- mg the ost'against movement, cam means for moving the locking devicesdndividually for the passage of the yarn, a ringshaped.

fixed frame member encircling the dial post, a second ring shaped member supported on the first member movably, and connecting the locking devices together for shogging them simultaneously, substantially as described. Y i

i. The combination, in a rib knittingmachine, ota cylinder and dial, cylinder and dial cam rings, means for rotating the same, a dial post, a ratchet wheel thereon, a stationary member of the machine carrying1 a et plurality of pawls for engaging said ratc Wheel, yarn guides disposed to feed the yarn between the ratchet Wheel and pawls, and means for retracting said pawls in succession in order to permit of the movement of the knitting yarn around the axis of rota tion of the machine.

y 5. The combination, in a rib knitting machine, of a cylinder and dial, cylinder and dial cam rings, means for rotating the same, a dial post, a ratchet Wheel secured thereto,

a non-rotating member of the machine, a

plurality of pawls engaging said ratchet wheel, yarn guides disposed to feed the yarn ments'of partial rotation may be imparted to the ratchet Wheel, 'dial post and dial.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WVALTER D. BUTZ.

Witnesses:

KATE A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. TURNER. 

